Hyundai Creta Electric: Sensible, Not Sensational

The only thought that’s running through my mind as I lay my eyes on a brand new Creta Electric is that it’s going to be as vanilla as vanilla can be. The formula isn’t new. Take a proven product, plonk in an electric drivetrain, ka-ching! Tata’s proven it with the Nexon EV and is following up with the Punch EV: this is a proven, low-risk method of going electric. 

If anything, Hyundai has opted for the ultra-low risk strategy. It’s relying on the Creta to be its first truly mass market electric offering. The Creta’s popularity is down to its sensibilities and feel good in equal parts. Hyundai aimed to amplify both with the Creta Electric. Good news, they’ve nailed it. 

Creta, who? 

Picture this. We’re stuck in a jam on the East Coast Road in Chennai, surrounded by over a dozen cars, in a vehicle that hasn’t been launched yet. There are fleeting glances from onlookers. ‘Something’s different’, they’re probably thinking. But they’ve shrugged it off and gone back to mindlessly doom scrolling on their phones almost immediately after. 

 

The omnipresence of the Creta means that the Creta Electric is very happy to blend in with the crowd. Hyundai hasn’t opted for an extensive design overhaul, kept the Creta’s core identity intact and delivered a design that will offend no one. The paint palette is a little more adventurous with an ice blue and emerald green (available in both gloss and matte finishes), and the design updates are subtle and tasteful. Also, save for a difference in height and claimed ground clearance, dimensions are identical to its petrol-powered counterpart. 

From an updated bumper that houses a hidden charger port, to a new design for the 17-inch alloy wheels and repositioned reverse lamps in the ‘pixel pattern’ on the new rear bumper — updates here just enough to tell you this isn’t a standard Creta. A cool touch are active aero flaps in the front bumper that open up when the battery is running hot and needs cooling, but remains shut otherwise. 

What does seem rather odd is the battery pack placement that pokes out substantially from the underbelly. Visually, that element makes you wonder whether the Creta Electric was a rushed project that began with an afterthought. Step inside and those doubts will quickly get laid to rest. 

Two ways of doing anything

Like everyone else, Hyundai could’ve chosen to raise the floor of the Creta Electric substantially and have the battery pack sit tighter with the underbelly. That they’ve chosen against it reaps huge dividends in the in-cabin experience. 

The floor has been raised slightly, but Hyundai has countered that with a lower hip point (for the rear seats) and an angled seat base. The net result is that you don’t sit in a knees up position at all. It feels natural. It feels like just another Creta. That’s a great start. Even headroom and footroom does not feel compromised. 

Kneeroom is ample for a six-footer. Hyundai has even scooped out the seat-backs of the front seat to give you more wiggle room. Oddly enough, the tray tables on the seat back negate it. You have a flat floor at the rear, which means footroom for the middle occupant isn’t compromised. And yes, you can seat three here with a slight squeeze if required. Sunshades, rear AC vents, type-C chargers and a central armrest — they’re all offered, as you’d expect. There’s also a proper three-pin plug point (and extension of the Creta Electric’s ‘V2L’ function) that can be used to power/charge any electrical devices.

At the front, the flat floor pays off yet again. The reworked centre console adds more storage space, and the redesigned section for the Drive Mode selector, seat ventilation buttons and cup holders bring it more in line with more expensive EVs from the Hyundai family such as the Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6. There’s a larger cubby that houses the wireless charger too.  

Front seats might feel slightly narrow for those overweight, but there’s no issue with cushioning or comfort. The seats feel a tad too high even at their lowest setting, but headroom isn’t particularly an issue here.

The boot is wide and shallow, best used by small trolley bags and duffles. Rated capacity at 433-litres is identical to the petrol/diesel versions and there’s a spare tyre tucked underneath too. There’s a 22-litre frunk, that can be used to store the vehicle’s charger. This storage tray has a 10kg weight limit. 

The Electric Cousin 

I’d say the interior is equal parts new and familiar. You’d very quickly feel at home. There’s no radical design here that forces you to think where certain switches and functions might be. There’s a new steering wheel (borrowed from the global Kona electric) with ‘H’ written in morse code, and the gear selector has been repositioned on to the steering column too. Both have a reassuringly premium feel to them. You get a new climate control/media panel with blocky buttons being replaced by a touch panel. Physical controls for the important bits such as temperature, volume, power is a neat touch. 

The choice of colours for the interior is bold. I’m not a fan of white interiors (it soils a little too easily), but it does do enough to make the cabin feel airier and large. Gloss black appliques, silver accents and cool blue highlights break up the duopoly of the grey and white cabin. Quality is acceptable for the price point, but not particularly exciting or exceptional. The fit and finish is spot on, but some smoother graining on the plastic - especially on the door pads - would’ve been nice to have. 

On the features front, everything that a top-spec Creta gets, the Creta Electric does too. The twin displays, Bose sound system, panoramic sunroof, 360° camera, dual-zone climate control — it’s all in there. There are some new features too, borrowed from the Alcazar — this includes the NFC key, and a powered co-driver’s seat with a boss button function.

What’s missing? Well, nothing that’s a dealbreaker. A powered tailgate, heads up display, a dashcam and configurable ambient lighting would’ve been great to have. While we’re on the topic, we’re amazed that only wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto still exist in 2025. It’s not wireless and you’ll simply have to live with it in the Creta Electric. 

Fast, not frantic 

Quite a few things stand out about the Creta Electric’s drive experience. The silence, the immediacy and the smoothness are almost a given with an electric powertrain. However, what overshadows pretty much everything is how easy it is to drive. But first, the numbers. 

• There are two powertrain options — a 42kWh battery pack paired with a 135PS motor, and a 51.4kWh version with a 171PS motor. 

• Torque output remains the same at 200Nm with both the versions. 

• Claimed range stands at 390km and 473km respectively. However, real world range could be closer to 300-320km for the smaller battery and 380-400km for the larger battery. 

• Getting a 11kW charger installed at home will get you 10-100% in 4 hours for the 42kWh battery and nearly 5 hours for the 51.4kWh version.

• With 50kW DC fast charging, 10-80% is dealt with in 58 minutes. A software update is expected to unlock 100kW fast charging, slashing the time to 39 minutes. 

Now, let’s get to driving. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been driving a petrol or diesel car all your life, or if this is your first car ever. Getting used to the way the throttle reacts is super easy. You don’t have to second guess anything. Sure, there are varying levels of urgency based on the drive mode you select. Eco gives you a dull response (but more range), Sport dials the sharpness up (and gets you to 100kmph in just 7.9 seconds) and Normal is the ideal middle child. Do note that there are no traction modes on offer here unlike the petrol/diesel models. 

The sense of drama has been dialled out, without taking away from performance. Power is put down cleanly whether you’re jabbing the throttle at 0kmph, 50kmph, 100kmph or even 120kmph. It will simply put on speed in a very nonchalant manner. 

There’s selectable regeneration modes too, and an ‘i-Pedal’ single pedal drive mode that lets you come to a complete standstill without touching the brake pedal. It induces deceleration using regenerative braking the moment you let go of the throttle. There’s a super intuitive ‘Auto’ mode for the regeneration as well that takes inputs from the ADAS camera to give you the correct level of regenerative braking. This works so well that we’d trust this system almost blindly. 

On largely smooth surfaces, the ride quality seemed comfortable and composed. The suspension is set up to be firm, so you do feel a few harsh impacts even if it is just for a split second. The upside of better body control is a trade off you’d be willing to make. It also doesn’t exhibit vertical movement at high speeds over undulations, like a petrol Creta does. With the handful of corners that we did experience, the Creta Electric felt predictable and inspired enough confidence. 

Finally, rated ground clearance stands at 200mm (10mm over the standard version). However, do be careful over very large speedbreakers. 

Crash it

No. Seriously. Hyundai needs to shove a crash test report in the collective faces of internet naysayers. Maruti Suzuki did that with the Dzire, and it’d help the Creta on the whole too. There’s talk of a more robust construction with higher levels of advanced high strength and high strength steel being used, reinforcements being made to the platform. But, the proof of the pudding remains in the crashing. 

The staples of six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill assist, traction control are all available. Also on offer is Level 2 ADAS which comes with functions such as auto emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep and centering assist, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. Hyundai’s ADAS calibration is largely useful in Indian conditions, but we’d recommend using it only when the lanes are clearly marked, and the traffic is largely sparse. 

The Pressure Of Perfect

Carrying the Creta name affords the Creta Electric a lot of trust from the get go. It’s done well to not just meet the expectations in terms of space, comfort and technology, but also actively exceed it in most regards. The smooth electric drivetrain, the composed ride and the added practicality simply make the experience even better. 

While the Creta Electric is not doing anything radical, it comes across as a very likable product. It’s something we can recommend to anyone looking at buying their first electric family car. After all, it’s really hard to go wrong with vanilla. It just works.